Former rugby league international Mike Ford has England's defence coach since May 2006.

As a player he represented his home town club Oldham and played ten times for Great Britain. He also played for South Queensland in the ARL. He retired as player-coach of Oldham in 2001 and was appointed as Ireland's Defence Co-ordinator a year later.

On moving to union, Ford was credited with much of the progress Ireland made under Eddie O'Sullivan as they climbed the ranks and won a Triple Crown for the first time in 19 years in 2004. He then left Ireland to become Saracens skills and defence coach, before becoming their head coach in February 2006.

Ford was then hired on to the England coaching ticket under Brian Ashton and was part of the set-up that guided the champions to the 2007 World Cup final. He kept his job after Ashton's departure worked under new boss Martin Johnson.

Alongside John Wells, Johnson and Brian Smith, Ford helped guide England to the 2011 Six Nations title. But come the 2011 World Cup, England suffered an unceremoniously early exit amid reports of off-field incident.

Ford left his role with England in November 2011 and took up an interim position with the Newcastle Falcons under Gary Gold. The team failed to get Premiership survival but the coaching set-up were credited with an improved showing in the second-half of the season.

After the end of the 2011-12 season, Ford was announced as part of the new Bath coaching set-up with Gold, Neal Hatley, Toby Booth and Brad Davis joining him at the West Country side.